


Arusian Holiday

by DesertVixen



Category: Voltron: Lion Voltron
Genre: F/M, give the Princess some space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 06:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12835140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: Inspired by the idea of Roman Holiday... Allura gets a bit of a break.Written for the 2017 KAEX Spring Treat Blind Exchange





	Arusian Holiday

It all started with a quiet conversation. 

“I’ve always wanted to go to the Nivelles festival,” Allura said as she looked out the window. “Of course it hasn’t been held for the last ten years.”

It was the wistful expression on her face that got to Lance. 

Of course, Allura wouldn’t be allowed to go to a spring festival that seemed to center on celebrating the planting season with dancing and frivolity. She might be the ruler of the planet, but she lived a very sheltered and somewhat isolated life. Coran and Nancy expected perfection in her studies, barely tolerated her flying Blue Lion, and believed that a princess didn’t need to mingle with her people. 

Perhaps when Arus had boasted a full royal court, that mindset had been a reasonable one - but those days were gone. There was no court, as its members had either fled, been captured, or had died fighting Zarkon. The planet’s society was trying to rebuild and reshape, but it would never be like it had been.

It was a small thing, but he wished she could go to the festival and have a good time. 

He certainly planned to.

“Why can’t you go?” Lance said suddenly.

Allura laughed. “Sure, I’ll just stroll right out past Nanny. Even if I could get out of the castle, I’d be recognized.”

Lance drummed his fingers on the table. There was nothing he liked better than a challenge. “Maybe not… Getting you out of the castle would be the biggest problem. You’ll just need a little bit of a disguise….”

*** *** 

Nanny frowned upon Allura having any sort of relationship, but they were the only young women she had a chance to know. So she made the effort and tried to get to know them, but it wasn’t easy – the maids lived in fear of Nanny as much as Allura did.

Yet, she was somehow not surprised when she realized it was Leonora who accompanied Lance. The young maid was always deferential – her father had been part of the palace guard in the days before devastation came to Arus, her mother one of the dressmakers – but she had a slight streak of mischief about her. She was one of the few who would risk spending a few minutes with Allura, even if it meant a scolding.

Now, Leonora was dressed in what Allura recognized as a festival dress – dark pink with flower embroidery on the square neck, bell sleeves and skirt, a pale green sash, full petticoats edged in embroidered vines, her honey blonde hair pinned up with a profusion of white blossoms and pink ribbons. She carried a bag with her and Allura wondered at it.

“Your disguise awaits, Princess,” Lance said with a grin.

Leonora produced a voluminous apron, some bottles, and another dress – this one lavender, embroidered with blue flowers modeled after ones that grew by the castle’s lake, with pink and white striped petticoats.

The bottles turned out to contain a wash that would make Allura’s pale blonde hair darker, almost the same shade as Leonora’s.

“Totally temporary,” Leonora assured her. “It will rinse out in the wash.”

Allura started to see the shape of the plan. 

“You see, there aren’t that many people who know you by sight. They only know you as the princess,” Lance explained as Leonora tied the apron over her dress and went to work. “If you’re dressed like all the other young women, you shouldn’t be noticed, either when you leave or at the festival.”

Leonora shooed Lance out when it was time for Allura to change. There were darker purple ribbons and the traditional white blossoms to weave into the braids and curls she had pinned up. It was the work of a few minutes for Leonora to make some slight alterations, and then she motioned Allura to the mirror.

Allura could hardly believe the change in her appearance, and twirled in front of the mirror. She had to admit that she liked the change of color. Pink could get a little old.

“I do hope you have a wonderful time,” Leonora said softly.

*** *** 

Allura couldn’t believe how freeing it felt to simply walk out of the castle with the group of chattering young people. She didn’t know if any of them – besides Leonora, of course – knew that their princess was with them, and she did not care.

She was going to have fun, and dance, and eat sweet cakes in the shape of flowers. She was going to enjoy watching her planet – her people – come back to life.

The village was scrubbed and decorated with flower garlands, the streets boasted carts full of delicacies, and there were people everywhere. Her people, who had been forced to hide in caves and scavenge food and live under cover of dark, were able to come out and celebrate. Children rushed about, attempting to sneak treats off carts and playing boisterous games. It was glorious. 

Allura had a faint memory of coming to the Nivelles festival when she was small, maybe six or seven. She had enjoyed it, but their presence had also brought the festival to something of a standstill.

This time, no one curtsied or called her “Princess”. No one stopped what they were doing to point her out. She found herself swept into decorating a walled courtyard where there would be dancing, with no questions about who she was or where she came from. Leonora had introduced her as Lora, a friend from another village. An older woman came out and fussed at all of the young women, who she claimed were doing everything wrong because they were too busy flirting with young men.

It was utterly blissful.

*** ***

Lance had a bet with himself about how long it would take before Allura’s absence was noted, or before it occurred to Keith to blame him.

It took until the late afternoon.

“I don’t suppose you have any idea where the Princess might be, Lance,” Keith said dryly. 

“I could not say for sure,” Lance said blandly. “However…”

“However?” Keith said, his tone conveying his annoyance.

“You really should come to the village with us this evening,” Lance replied. “This evening, and not any sooner.”

*** ***

The afternoon passed far too quickly for Allura’s taste, decorating the dancing area with flowers, listening to the young women discuss the handsome young men of the Voltron Force (and somehow managing not to giggle when they talked about how lucky the Princess was), eating far too many sweets, and having more fun that she’d had in years. She was shocked at how right Lance had been – no one had even commented that she resembled the princess. Allura – or Lora – was simply one more young woman in a pretty dress.

She knew it couldn’t last forever, and she half-expected Leonora to try and nudge her back to the castle as the sunlight dimmed and darkness began to fall. The torches around the walled square were lit, lending an aura of magic to the place.

“It’s the Voltron Force,” a young woman cried out suddenly. “They’re here for the dancing!”

She resisted the urge to run. Surely Coran and Nanny had not sent them down to fetch her back. Instead, she did her best to look and act like just another young woman in the crowd, admiring the handsome young men. 

They were all handsome in their own ways, she thought. Hunk was solid and strong, while Pidge had something of an impish charm that she thought he would grow into nicely. Lance and his sense of mischief and daring. And Keith, who was every inch the commander, despite his lack of uniform. He wore the black pants and traditional white shirt well, and she enjoyed having a moment to simply look at him when he wasn’t aware of her.

Until he walked directly up to her. “Might I have this dance?”

What could she say but yes? She didn’t know where he had made time to learn the steps, but he clearly had as he swept her into the Arusian folk dance.

“Allura.” He spoke quietly, so that only she could hear him.

She sighed. “Did Lance tattle on me?”

“No, he didn’t tattle on you – or himself, I’m sure,” Keith said with a smile. “I recognized you as soon as I saw you.”

He gave her no other compliment, but in a way, it was the greatest one he could have given her. Keith had been the only one to see Allura.

And now she was dancing with him by torchlight, under the stars of her world. 

Allura couldn’t have asked for a better end to her stolen day. She refused to think about what would happen when they returned to the castle. 

Keith had seen her, and she was dancing in his arms.

What more could a princess in disguise ask for?


End file.
